When You Have All You Desire
by KyraKayden
Summary: Two years after the events of Making Paper, retired life for Michael and Melody is quiet and peaceful. It's Mojitos and long days spent on sunny beaches without trouble in sight. We both know I'm lying this is a Melody Jayne story after all. What could possibly bring them back to Los Santos? Rated M for graphic violence, sex, drug use. As always I only ask that you enjoy.
1. Elysium

January 4th, 2016  
Amsterdam, Netherlands

Melody holds one cup of the big headphones to ear her chin nodding to the music coming from the sound booth. She rests her hand on the sound console, touching the intercom switch she leans to the mic.

"All right that was great but let's get it one more time from the top." She releases the mic and rests her hand on the sound tech's shoulder.

"Spin it up again ok?"

"You sure Mrs. Reddick?" Jeff asks she nods and looks at her watch.

"Yeah, wrap it up I have to get my kid..." Melody touches the intercom again.

"I'll see you guys same time tomorrow." She waves at the band in the booth as she shrugs on her black denim jacket flipping her blonde hair from the collar.

Melody leaves the booth and signs out at the front desk, she pushes open the big double doors of the studio and steps out into the glaring sunlight and cold breeze onto the laid cobblestone streets. Her mobile rings her calve high boots clicking on the walk as she inhales taking in the sweet air of the bakery she passes. She pushes her hands into her pockets after touching her headset.

"Everest."

"Amber." The voice on the other end replies and she smiles.

"Hello Mr. Reddick."

"Hello Mrs. Reddick, and how is my beautiful better half?" Michael asks leaning back in his officer chair and mashing out a cigarette.

"I just left the studio on my way to pick up the munchkin."

"Why isn't Bridgette doing that?" He asks as she pauses at a magazine rack and pays the man for a magazine. It wasn't the magazine she wanted however, she casually stops in place flipping through it taking in her surroundings.

"Because my love she's our au pair not our slave." Satisfied she wasn't being followed Melody turns on her heel and starts off down the street again.

"Then what do we pay her for?" Melody walks past the long tall windows of the daycare looking in.

"Because we trust her, I'm here I'll see you soon."

"Love you babe."

"Love you too." She tucks her earpiece into her pocket as she pulls open the door to the daycare and walks in.

"Hey Mrs. Reddick." The young woman at the front desk says with a pleasant smile as Melody waves and pulls open the inner door into the center.

Melody crosses the floor of children playing narrowly ducking a ball as two kids toss it between them, traversing the room to the section of younger toddlers and infants. The attendant looks up from one child and beckons another attendant over handing her the child from her arms.

"Mrs. Reddick, hello, Cora is over here. Can we talk a moment?" The attendant asks as Melody follows her into a small room where Cora was in a small playpen.

"Ohh there's my girl." Melody smiles as she leans down and picks up the girl in her arms.

"We had a small incident today it's nothing serious but..." Melody bounces the girl as she smiles touching Cora's nose.

"You are getting heavy Starbuck, you're going to make Mommy have to start working out again. What sort of problem?" Melody asks as she looks up from Cora to the attendant.

"Someone came in today and tried to check her out."

"A young brunette about this high? French accent?" Melody asks gesturing at the height of her shoulder.

"No, this was a man and this gentleman was neither on the approved list you gave us nor did he know the passphrase you asked us to keep on file." Melody's heart starts to pound as she looks down at Cora into the ice blue eyes like her own and brushes her hand through the shock of raven black hair like her father's. She plays it cool after exhaling the air from her lungs and sweeps away the strands of blonde from her right cheek behind her ear.

"Normally we would phone the police but the man left without incident and it was determined we would notify you of the event and only pursue further action if you demanded it." Melody bites her lower lip for a moment before nodding.

"I'd like to see your security footage if I may."

"Of course, this way please." Melody slides her daughter's bag onto her shoulder resting Cora against her hip as she follows the attendant from the room and back towards reception following her behind the desk and into the offices beyond.

"This is our security manager, Gustov."

"Yes we met with him when we first came here, hello again."

"Good evening Mrs. Reddick my apologies for the circumstances." Melody shakes her head at the man.

"No problem it's your job."

"Um, Ms. Kovak if it's all right I'd like to speak to Mrs. Reddick alone please." Gustov says turning to the attendant who nods turning and closing the door behind her, Melody watches her leave then her face turns more serious.

"What do we got?" She asks turning back to the security manager. The manager turns his monitor around to face her as he circles around to the side of the desk she was on and calls up the footage.

"As soon as I heard what was going on at the receptionist's desk I initiated contact with this gentleman here." He pauses the rolling footage of him stepping past the receptionist's desk and approaching a tall man in a suit, he points to him on the screen.

"Ever seen him before?" He asks as Melody shakes her head.

"Well, his ID was fake. While I engaged him the RFID scanner was running the chip in his licence and passport he had both on his person and the minute he mentioned Cora I knew something was up."

"You should've shot him on the spot." Melody says as she uses his mouse to move the footage forward frame by frame narrowing her eyes at the screen.

"This isn't America Mrs. Reddick we aren't quite so cavalier. I gave him the query you asked us to give in case of instances like this but he didn't know the counter phrase."

"Can you print this?" She asks pausing the footage on the most decent shot of the man's face she could find.

"Yeah, sure." He taps the keyboard and the printer whirrs as she adjusts Cora from one hip to the other hitching the bag higher onto her shoulder. Gustov hands her the printed still and she folds it tucking it inside her jacket.

"Thanks Gustov you did good. Listen if this should happen again-"

"Call the police, of course ma'am."

"No, call either my husband or me."

"And then what?"

"We'll handle it." She smirks as she turns on her heel and leaves the office.

Melody presses her thumb to the lock on the front door of their home. It beeps and Melody taps in the four digit code the lock clicking before she pushes open the door. Michael and Melody's new home was no mansion it was a peaceful townhouse in a quiet neighborhood. Two stories, four bedrooms, no gigantic swimming pools, tennis courts or sweeping marble floors.

The floors were hardwood and the bathrooms were ivory and tile everything was what Melody had called "muted elegance" expensive, but not ostentatious and she liked it that way. A few paintings here and there, a large fireplace in the living room the furniture was simple but tasteful, it was a home and the warmth of it washed over her as she stepped inside. Michael comes down the staircase as Melody bolts the door behind her.

"Hey there's my girls." He kisses Melody their lips meeting for a long moment before he ruffles his little girl's hair.

"And how was daycare Squirt?" He asks as he lifts the little girl in his arms.

"There was a problem." Melody replies as she drops the toddler's bag from her shoulder next to the door.

"Oh yeah? A kid problem or an us problem?"

"Both." Melody reaches into her jacket and hands him the folded still photograph, Michael looks at it he rests the girl against his chest holding her with one arm as she paws at his cheek with her little hand.

"Who's this?" Michael asks looking at the picture as he follows Melody into the living to the small ornate bar.

"That is the person who tried to remove her from daycare around two this afternoon."

"Like as in kidnap?"

"As in kidnap." Melody takes the glass stopper off of the decanter of scotch turns over one of the rocks glasses and pours.

"What did Gustov do?"

"He asked him the passphrase then kicked him to the curb."

"He should've shot him, what does this guy think we pay him under the table for? His winning personality?"

"That's what I said, he accused me of being "too American"." Melody replies knocking back the contents of the glass in one gulp.

"Madame?" Bridgette comes from the kitchen.

"Hey Bridge, could you take her please we've got some things we've got to discuss."

"Of course madame, come here little one." Bridgette takes the girl from Michael's arms and bounces her in the air giving her a smile.

"You can help me finish dinner." The young au pair turns on her heel and walks back into the kitchen. They both wait for the two-way swinging kitchen door to swing itself to a stop before Michael turns to her.

"What the fuck?"

"I don't fucking know ok?" Melody says throwing up her hands before she pours two glasses of scotch one for Michael and refilling her own.

"You have no idea who this guy is?"

"Do you?" Michael shakes his head without replying knocking back the scotch.

"On a less perplexing note, Franklin has a job for us."

"Doesn't he know we're retired?" She asks and Michael nods taking the decanter from her hand and refilling their glasses.

"Pass on this one, normally I'm happy to help Frank but my gut tells me this isn't the time to be travelling."

"I already agreed to the job Mel." Melody slams her empty glass down onto the bar.

"Michael!"

"I didn't know about this shit! Things are already in motion preparations are being made, we can't back out. One of us has to go." Melody sighs shaking her head as she pauses the glass tilted to her lips then takes a sip.

"What's the job?" Michael slaps a folder onto the bar in between them she looks up from the folder across the bar to him.

"Some kind of statue, get in get out, we were supposed to meet Franklin off the coast of Los Santos in three weeks anyways so we just made that the rendezvous." Melody blows the air from her lungs and nods tipping open the folder she flips through the paperwork and photos.

"I'll go." She adds as she looks over one of the documents at Michael.

"Makes sense, I can work from the house keep an eye on the munchkin."

"All right, call Franklin tell him it's on...guess I better go pack."


	2. Getting into the Swing of Things

Melody rests her head on the cold table her silky blonde hair fanning out around her like a halo. She exhales her breath fogging up the steel topped table, she sighs not sitting up when the door opens and closes.

"Sit up." The officer says, Melody ignores him until he slams his fist on the table. Melody sits up her handcuffs at the small of her back clinking against the metal chair.

"Se habla español?" Melody says nothing as she looks up and to the right then shrugs.

"Tomb raiding in this country is a very serious crime." Her eyes falls onto the officer as she works her fingers into the back of her belt in the space between her cargo pants and the belt itself, wincing when she bends a fingernail back against the thick leather.

"We're also having a problem processing your identity. It seems Maria Reddick doesn't exist at least not until fourteen months ago but then we ran your fingerprints. Almost immediately we received a call from Interpol and they seemed very concerned with our safety though they didn't tell us much. So we dug on our own and found this..." Melody picks at the tape securing a hand cut plastic handcuff key to the inside of her belt trying to move as little as possible as the officer slides a wanted poster across the table.

"The fourteenth most wanted person in the world is nothing to shake a stick at."

"Now see I play it cool for a little while and they demote me out of the top ten. No respect these days." Melody finally says aloud with a smirk etching the corner of her lips.

"She can speak." Melody flips the key in her nimble fingers and blinks staring at him as she tries to work it into the lock.

"Yes she can." She turns the key and starts opening the handcuffs being as silent as possible. The officer gets up circling around the table he leans back against it and looks down at her .

"So you admit you are this Melody Jayne?" Melody only shrugs.

"Do you know what the problem is with retiring? Disappearing for two years and getting on with your life?" She asks cocking her head up at the man flipping the cuffs in her hands.

"What?" Her blue eyes focus on his as she smiles.

"People forget you're dangerous." Melody brings her hands forward jumping to her feet, she flips the hinges around and shoves the pointed ends into his ears clapping her hands to the sides of his head she drives them through his inner ears and into his skull. Blood runs down her palms and arms as she lets him slump to the floor.

Melody kneels pulling the pistol from his belt she stands up walking over to the corner of the room she grabs the small statue in a plastic bag marked evidence and shoves it into her backpack.

Melody drops her backpack onto the table and takes out a block of C4 she cuts it in half with a pocket knife then halves it again, shoving in the detonator and activating it. She sticks the small explosive to the underside of the table and shoulders her backpack dragging a chair over to the glass partition between rooms. Gripping the chair she hefts it and twists slamming the chair through it and shattering the glass.

Using the legs she breaks the sharper shards along the bottom frame and plants her right hand easily vaulting the waist-high partition. She jams the back of the chair under the door handle giving it a solid kick into place dropping her bag against the cement partition and crouching with her back against it.

Resting on her haunches she flicks open the trigger guard on the detonator and hears the interrogation room door burst open as officers file in. Melody covers one ear and thumbs the switch on the detonator.

The explosion rocks the room shrapnel, chunks of debris and body parts funnel through the partition filling the room with smoke. The blast forces the air from Melody's lungs like a punch to the stomach and makes her ears ring. Shaking it off she jumps the partition into the ruined interrogation room ducking under the flourescent light hanging by a single wire from the ceiling and over a body.

She opens the doors and levels the captured sidearm putting three bullets into the two officers trying to force the door she blocked with the chair. The shrill fire alarm blares in her ears as she snatches a gun and two magazines from the dead officers tucking one in her waistband bringing her off hand to the gun in her right hand she hurries down the hallway.

Melody rushes down the stairwell she hears the sounds of scurrying boots on the floor above her as she jumps the last four steps onto the landing gripping the railing she pivots and takes the next set of stairs two at a time. She puts her back to the corner and turns around it raising her gun she finds the hallway clear and runs down the long corridor.

Her boots stop silently at the far corner of the corridor, leaning around she sees a lone cop unlocking a locker and loading an FN FAL 50.42. Looking her over her shoulder she slowly moves into the room and raises her weapon as the officer straps the FAL around his neck and checks his sidearm.

"Don't move." Melody says gesturing with her gun as the officer stops.

"Gun, one finger." The cop complies letting the gun dangle from his palm his finger hooked in the trigger guard.

"Your buddies ran my passport."

"Yes."

"They're all dead. Now I need that passport so unless you'd like to join them..."

"It's this way."

"Smart man. Move, slowly." She follows him back out into the corridor and to a small room, the officer stops at the door and taps in a key code on the door handle twisting the knob she follows him into the room he points to a drawer at the desk. She gestures with the gun for him to stand against the wall.

Melody stuffs the passport in her back pocket and kicks the drawer shut.

"Your mobile." She says as he hands it to her with a trembling hand.

Melody tucks that in her back pocket as well then flips the gun in her hand, gripping the barrel she strikes the officer across the temple with the frame. He slumps to the floor she turns him over pulling the FAL from his neck and Melody steps over him closing the door behind her.

Hurrying down the corridor once again she jumps the two steps into the lobby as the sounds of boots echo behind her. Ducking behind a stone column she yanks the charge lever on the FAL and shoulders it peeking around it she flips the thumb switch to full auto and fires. Three officers tumble back off their feet as Melody pivots the rifle and fires again.

Melody fights the rifle's recoil as bullets erupts from the heavy barrel and the rifle begins climbing off of her targets, thumbing the switch back to single fire she selects a cop that rushes through the lobby entrance and squeezes the trigger the bullet punching through his riot helmet and splattering it with blood.

The receiver clangs open on empty and she curses tossing the rifle to the ground sending it skittering away as she draws both her handguns.

"Damn FAL's, never liked the things." She mutters as she leans around the column firing one gun then raises her off hand and firing the second gun before she takes off sprinting for the door.

She raises both guns and pumps five rounds between the two guns into the glass and leaps off her back foot curling her body she smashes through the window rolling to her feet. Firing over her shoulder she jogs over to a squad car and spins on her heel using her momentum to thrust her elbow through the glass.

Opening the door she drops into the driver's seat, ducking when bullets start pockmarking the windshield. Firing with her left hand she drops the gun from her right and twists the key igniting the engine. She presses the brake drops the shift lever into reverse and stomps the gas pedal as the squad car's tires squeal and leaps backwards slamming into another police car.

Melody curses as glass explodes around her the bullets shredding the fabric of the seats. Shifting into drive she rushes forward and runs over a police officer, shifting back into reverse she guns the engine and twists the wheel around the car the rear bumper scraping the other car as she sits up.

Twisting the wheel harder she whips the car completely around and shifts into drive burning rubber onto the pavement as she bursts through the chain link fence and spins sideways onto the road. Melody winces at the wound in her shoulder as it stains her green button down BDU shirt with blood, grunting in pain she leans up and pulls the stolen mobile from her pocket dialing.

"Hola."

"Jesse? MJ."

"Hey girl what's the deal? Your name is setting off alarms all over the net every system I monitor is lighting up like a Christmas tree."

"Great." Melody growls as she weaves around a car that blares its horn at her.

"What can I do?"

"How exposed am I?"

"Beyond. Your passports no good Maria Reddick is hot now, please tell me you have one of your backups." Melody tucks the phone to her ear and her knee under the steering wheel setting the cruise control she shrugs her backpack from her shoulders and drops it into the passenger seat.

Ripping open the bag she fumbles for the sewn over lining at the very bottom and digs her fingernails into the loose threading until she can tear it away. Retrieving two passports she flips them open.

"Eliza Carmichael and...Kimberly Gregson." Jesse quickly taps the keyboard on his computer, looking up and to the left at one of the four monitors lining the wall bordering the main center screen.

"Eliza's no good, that passport doesn't have a legitimate stamp for Honduras."

"Jesse, Kimberly has brown eyes and I didn't bring contacts."

"Ok, ok, ok. Let's switch gears here, where are you going?"

"I'm meeting Michael in Cabo."

"Well that's not so bad you could drive that."

"In a stolen Honduran police car? Not so much."

"Ok, ok um let me ping your cell here...ok. Listen, twenty miles east there's an old airstrip I've got a friend with a plane it'll be a tight landing for him but if you've got the cash on you..." Melody rolls her eyes as she fumbles through her bag again and takes out a banded stack of cash taking one corner she fans through it.

"I've got eleven and change, US."

"He'll do it for five, I'll call you back."

She drops the phone from her shoulder and weaves around a tractor as she bounces over a pothole and takes the first east moving road she finds.

Melody blinks looking up at the cloudless sky as she takes a piece of tape into her mouth and rips a piece free taping the bandage to her skin. Her head turns back up to the sky when she hears the growing buzz of an aircraft as a Velum grows in the distance. It takes a long smooth trajectory and eases out of the air bouncing onto the dirt runway mostly overgrown with weeds and shrubs.

The pilot turns the plane around and lines it up for takeoff as he gets out the propeller slowly turning to a stop. He drops off the wing and walks up to her, looking at her in her bra her bloody shirt laying beside her as she finishes taping up the bullet wound to her shoulder.

"You're my ride I take it?" He asks and Melody nods, dropping the roll of tape back into her small field med kit and zips it back up tossing it into her bag.

"You're not gunna die on me are you?" Melody shoulders the bag and tucks the five thousand into the pocket of his unbuttoned and dirty Hawaiian shirt.

"Not today."


	3. Just Like Old Times

".._.morning there's a halo hanging from my girlfriend's four post bed. I know it's not mine but I'll see if I can use it for the weekend or a._.." Melody adjusts herself on her towel, the sun warming her tan skin. A shadow overtakes her and blots out the sun, she opens her eyes.

"Shrimp's ready." Michael gestures at the silver tray in his hand.

"Ooh, shrimpy goodness." He helps her to her feet as they walk across the bow of their yacht and onto the sun deck.

"About damn time." Franklin says finishing his whiskey with a big gulp.

"Patience Padawan." Melody says as she pulls up an oak chair next to him, she dips the shrimp in a silver dish of sauce and takes a bite, chewing she pulls one knee to her chest.

"So Franklin." She adds Franklin pops a shrimp into his mouth on his way back from the bar sipping his fresh drink.

"So to business?" Melody nods and sets the airtight case on the table unlatching the case she tips the lid open.

"One priceless uh thingamajig." She holds up the small statue as Franklin examines it, taking it from her hand he snaps a picture of it and sends it to his client.

"While we wait, how was Honduras?"

"It was lovely..."

"Of course she only got to see the lovely police stations." Michael adds as he sits down across from them.

"That's not true, I saw some rather nice tombs as well." She says chewing on another shrimp Franklin chuckles, his phone beeps and he examines it.

"Ok looks like we have a deal the usual account?" Melody pauses mid sip and sets her drink down.

"Actually no, baby do you have that-" Michael hands her the digital tablet the display blinking to life.

"Malé, Maldives. Account number SJ-11934-087146." Franklin turns his phone sideways as he types what Melody recites to him setting the tablet down she takes another sip of her wine.

Melody clears her throat looking over the wooden bannister into the panoramic windows of the lounge and galley kitchen just off of the main sun deck.

"Sweetie, your meat is burning." Michael bolts from his chair.

"Madame?" Bridgette comes out of the lounge carrying Cora in her arms.

"She refuses to go back to sleep." Melody smiles holding out her arms taking her little girl from the young au pair.

"Thank you probably the music, did you miss Mommy Starbuck?" She rocks the little girl in her arms as she touches her nose. Franklin watches them as he refills his scotch from the bottle on the table.

"Starbuck?" Melody looks up at Franklin and smiles.

"Not much of a reader are you Frank? When you squeeze a kid out you can call her whatever you want." Michael comes out carrying a plate of steaming meat he leans down kissing Melody's lips as he ruffles the little girl's dark and silky hair looking into the same haunting ice blue eyes as her mom's.

"Someone's supposed to be napping." He says smiling as Melody bounces her on her knee.

"She was giving Bridgette a hard time." She nuzzles the little girl's hair as she plays with her arms and smiles when Cora giggles.

"Well I think it's great, I think retirement suits ya'll. Look at ya, the kid, you with the long hair this boy's in shape he's tan. It's better than all that runnin' and gunnin'." Michael rests a steak on Melody's plate as she cuts some away and chews, nodding as she sips her wine.

"God it seems like a lifetime ago now." She adds after she swallows Michael sits down beside her and bites into his steak.

"So Frank you keep in touch with anyone else?" Michael asks, Franklin shakes his head.

"Trevor disappeared off the radar-"

"Good riddance." Melody interjects as she rips off a little piece of bread and gives it to Cora.

"And I haven't heard anything from Lester."

"Ah he's probably laying on a beach somewhere surrounded by the best and most pleasing party girls money can buy." Michael says taking another bite of his steak as Bridgette steps out from the lounge.

"Madame?" Melody finishes another sip of her wine as she looks up.

"You should come see this." Bridgette says as she rests her hand on the door frame beckoning her in. Melody gets up following the young brunette inside as she gestures at the big flat screen mounted on the wall.

"What do you think that's about?" Franklin asks as Michael rests Cora on his lap and shrugs.

"I'm so sorry Madame." Bridgette says running her hand down the small of Melody's back as Melody folds her arms across her chest and bites her bottom lip. Tears well up in her blue eyes streaking down her cheeks, Bridgette rests a finger under Melody's chin and kisses her tear stained lips before she steps back giving Melody's arm a squeeze letting her turn back to the tv.

"Bridge? What's going on in there?" Michael asks looking up as the clicks of Bridgette's expensive heels grow louder leaving the lounge and walking up to Franklin and Michael.

"You should ask her yourself Monsieur." She replies spreading her arms as Michael hands her Cora resting his sunglasses on the table he heads towards the lounge. Bridgette rests the child against her chest as she pats the back of her head nuzzling the little girl's hair.

"A very important man died today little one, and your mother will never be the same." She says softly sniffing before she takes a large sip from the wine glass Melody left behind.

Michael looks at MJ as she stands in front of the large tv mounted to one end of the lounge, her back was to him as she watched someone with a microphone to their lips speak in unheard words. The tv was muted but Michael could read the words scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

"Babe?" He asks knocking on the door frame.

"Mandela died." She says without turning wiping under her eyes with her hand.

"Oh."

"He was a great man Michael."

"I-I'm sure he was. Must be different for you though..." Melody sniffs before she replies.

"Yeah." Michael rests his hands on her shoulders then slides them down to her biceps giving them a squeeze leaning in he kisses the top of her head.

"I'm sorry." He says she sighs resting back against him.

"I've been gone for too long Michael, life has moved on without me." Michael doesn't reply as she stares at the tv resting his lips in her hair as they stand and watch for a long moment before Michael turns and leaves.

Melody closes the kitchen door behind wiping her eyes she turns as Bridgette moves out of the shadows. She walks closer to Melody and slowly takes off her glasses resting them on a shelf as her brown hair falls across one cheek and one olive green eye.

"Mon amour?" Bridgette asks touching Melody's flushed cheek, brushing her blonde ringlets behind one ear.

"I needed to see you." Melody replies softly as their fingers interlace and she kisses Bridgette's soft lips. Their tongues meet as Bridgette rests her hand on Melody's hip and pulls her closer.

"Where is Michael?" Bridgette asks as their lips part Melody sniffing and wiping her eyes again feeling a little better in Bridgette's arms.

"Giving Starbuck her bath."

"Good, I'd rather have you all to myself." Bridgette looks into Melody's tear stained eyes as Melody nuzzles Bridgette's fingers breathing softly against them.

"Michael just doesn't understand." Melody says after a moment of gazing into Bridgette's eyes.

"It's all right mon aimé. He is your husband, un homme, it's not his job to comfort you it's mine." Bridgette replies taking Melody's fingers and lightly pressing them to her lips.

"What would I do without you?" Melody asks resting her free hand on Bridgette's waist and they kiss again.

"Let me make you feel better?" Bridgette looks into Melody's eyes questioningly.

She bites her lower lip as she lets her hand brush Bridgette's cheek then nods. Bridgette gives her a soft warm smile taking her hand she leads Melody out of the kitchen and into the master bedroom. The Clearaudio Master Reference turntable on Melody's bureau begins to spin as a soft lilting mandolin fills the room.

Melody's eyes close as Bridgette's lips explore her warm skin. Her lips, her jaw, her neck, Bridgette's fingers tug on the knot to her top and tossing it aside freeing Melody's breasts. Bridgette rests her hand at the small of Melody's back as they both slowly move back onto her bed gazing into one another's eyes before their tongues meet once more.

Melody exhales feeling a hand touch her cheek, she blinks looking up at Michael as he leans down and kisses her. She moves a little Bridgette's head still resting on her chest, sound asleep she makes a small noise when Melody moves.

"Hey." Michael says softly as he slides into bed next to her.

"Hey." They kiss as he tries to move as gently and quietly as possible into their bed.

"What's all this?" He asks as Melody runs her fingers through Bridgette's hair.

"I needed a little-"

"TLC?"

"Yeah, something like that." She replies as Michael nods.

"Franklin's crashing on our couch and the munchkin is as sound asleep as Bridge."

"So all's quiet on the Western Front then?" Michael nods pulling the blanket over his legs as he kisses the top of Melody's head.

"Is she going to be here all night?"

"You're complaining?"

"Two beautiful women in my bed? Never, but she hogs you not to mention the covers." Melody smirks as she rests her hand on Bridgette's exposed shoulder blade. A bright light shines through the window arcing then sweeping away.

"Did you see that?" Melody asks as it appears again and flits away just as quickly.

"Yeah I did." Michael and Melody slide out of bed and exit the bedroom as the sound of a boat horn fills the air.

"This is the United States Coast Guard heave to and prepare to be boarded." The voice from the megaphone proclaims as Melody exits the lounge onto to the deck looking at the cutter barreling down on them and then up at the helicopter that buzzes overhead making a hard turn and coming back again at a lower altitude.

Melody curses as she rushes back inside, pulling a pair of pants on she jams her feet into combat boots from her closet and grabs the M4 from the top shelf.

"Bridgette wake up!" Melody shakes the girl who blinks looking up at her.

"Oui?"

"Clothes, now. And my daughter." She says as she drops the strap around her neck Michael rushes into the bedroom taking the .45 from his bedside table.

"Right away Madame." Bridgette holds Melody's bedsheet to her slender body as she hurries out of the room.

"How the fuck did they find us?" Michael asks as he pops the clip from the gun and replaces it yanking back on the slide.

"I don't know but wake up Franklin and give him this." Melody slams shut one of her drawers and tosses Michael her desert tan .45, he nods and hurries out of the room. Bridgette comes into the bedroom carrying her duffel bag and Cora.

"Madame?" Melody looks forlorn for a moment before she leans down and kisses the top of Cora's head for a long heartbeat. Franklin barges into the room trying to shake off his whiskey and sleep addled brain.

"I love you Starbuck, so very much." She says to the sleeping girl before she looks up at Franklin.

"You get them out of here no matter what do you understand me? We'll cover you." She asks staring up at Franklin who nods.

"Good, go now. Michael!" Melody shouts as she yanks back the receiver on her M4 with a snap, he appears in the doorway.

"The helicopter." She adds as Michael nods and disappears.

Melody shoulders the M4 leading Franklin and Bridgette through the lounge and to the port side of the yacht Michael marching past them a solid black RPG resting on his shoulder. Melody hurries down the port walkway moving astern feeling the subtle bump of the Coast Guard cutter against the yacht on the port side.

Franklin jumps the railing landing on his Jetmax reaching up with his arms Bridgette hands Cora down to him then turns back to Melody.

"Melody?" They both turn as the sound of a streaking RPG fills the air and the helicopter explodes in a fireball that lights up the night sky.

"Just go ok? We'll be in touch I promise. Remember your training stay safe and stay alive." Bridgette nods and kisses her Melody takes her hand and helps her down as she takes Cora from Franklin who takes his seat and ignites the engine. The boat turns away from the yacht as the sounds of gunfire erupt on the port side of the boat.

Melody rushes inside and up the stairs towards the control cabin, she stomps her way up the ladder and breaks into open air taking the key she ignites the engines and slams the throttles forward using her rifle she extends the telescoping stock to the floor and positions the steering wheel towards the shoreline bracing it with the barrel.

Grabbing a Glock 23 from the dry box beside the seat she hurries back down the stairs as the boat races for the shoreline. Dropping down into the lounge she raises the weapon and pivots rushing out into the open air on the starboard side she sees Michael struggling with a coast guard officer against the railing his rifle pressed horizontally against Michael's throat.

She fires three times the bullets catching the officer in the right ear and the temple, he slumps to the ground.

"Is that the only one?" Melody asks as Michael nods.

"One in the lounge but I plugged him and one on the port walk." They both turn and see the cutter laying chase.

"Who's driving the boat?"

"My Bushmaster."

"Ah so we're going to crash then." Michael says looking at the growing shoreline.

"Yep."

The yacht charges towards the shoreline as the cutter pulls alongside. Michael and Melody dive onto the floor of the lounge as the cutter's M134 minigun begins to spin and then rounds erupt from the six barrels, 7.62 x 51mm rounds tearing through the yacht. Michael shields Melody with his body as chunks of wood and glass fly around them rounds zinging through one side and out of the other.

The cutter breaks away when the yacht shudders violently running aground, careening onto the shoreline it grinds to a stop with a sharp jerk. Michael helps Melody to her feet as they slip and skid over the debris hurrying out of the lounge.

They jump the half ruined bow of the yacht and drop onto the wet sand Michael grabs Melody's arm as they sprint up the beach toward the mainland. Military Humvees bounce over the dunes and into view flooding them with light as they skid sideways spraying them with sand.

The soldiers rush out grabbing them both, Melody knees one in the groin and tries to wrench herself free but another one almost instantly replaces him grabbing her free arm. Michael has even less success as the soldiers easily manhandle him.

"Let him the fuck go!" Melody struggles to get her arms free from the two hulking soldiers as they handcuff Michael behind his back. Melody headbutts one of the soldier and twists on her heel wrapping the other soldier's arm around her and kneeing him in the abdomen.

As he falls to his knees she unrolls his arm and extends it driving her elbow down like a hammer into the upper arm dislocating it as he cries out in pain. She steps off her back foot and jams her knee into his chin sending him flying back to the sand, snatching the sidearm from his drop leg holster.

"Enough!"

Melody turns leveling the gun at the voice as a tall man with wisened azure blue eyes steps out of one of the Humvees. He was in full military dress his shoes shined to a high sheen with three stars on his shoulders nearly his entire left side was covered in medals and the right in a large square of campaign ribbons. Melody's mouth slowly falls open.

"Daddy?"


	4. Daddy's Girl

December 11th, 1997  
Housing near Camp Pendleton, California

"No the fuck you're not!" Her dad yells at her as Melody walks down the hallway towards the door.

"I'll go where the fuck I want!" She pulls open the front door but her Dad's large hand slams it shut again. He grabs her by the throat and shoves her against the door lifting her up and off her feet.

She gasps kicking against the door before her dad turns and sends her crashing into the coffee table. She skids off and lands in a heap gasping and choking back sobs in the space between the couch and the table. With one powerful hand he sends the coffee table flying smashing into the wall.

"You wanna fucking disobey me?! You think I fought a war just to be treated like a bitch by my own daughter?!" He grabs her by the hair she yelps in pain as he drags her down the hallway.

"I'll fucking show you who's the boss of this family!" He drags her into her bedroom slamming the door shut behind them.

January 18th, 2016

Melody looks from Michael to her father, then snaps back the hammer on the soldier's Beretta 9mm pointing it at him.

"Put it down Melody." Her dad raises his gloved hands.

"Let him go then we'll talk." She says looking at the soldiers surrounding them.

"Michael De Santa, I presume?" Michael nods grunting as he pushes himself to his feet.

"Uncuff him." He adds looking the man over.

"Sir?" One of the soldier's cocks his head at him.

"Soldier there's fourteen bullets in that gun plus the one up the pipe that's at least five of you she'll get on the snap before you even get the chance to shoot her, just do as I say." The soldier looks at Melody as he approaches Michael her gun following him as he reaches down and unlocks the cuffs.

"Hands up and back the fuck off." She says as the soldier puts his hands up and steps away slowly.

"There, see? I can be reasonable." Her dad says as he looks at the gun, then at Melody.

"I like you with long hair, Strawberry, reminds me of your mother's." He adds as she slowly pulls the trigger releasing the hammer letting it move back up to the frame and lowers the gun.

"This is your dad?" Melody sighs tapping the gun against her thigh as she looks from Michael to the General.

"Michael meet..." Melody pauses looking at the number of stars on her father's shoulders.

"...Lieutenant General Augustus Xavier Jayne. This is Michael...my husband."

"Yes, I've seen the wanted posters. I heard your wedding made quite the bang down there in Prague."

"Interpol." She says sheepishly looking down at the ground her right foot twisting in as her hair falls across her face.

"I didn't even-"

"Know she still had a father? Yes she plays her cards close to the Kevlar, well Strawberry how about we take that ride?" He nods over his shoulder to the Humvee. Melody hooks her arm into Michael's as they follow the General's perfect military walk and posture to the Humvee bearing the red three star flags.

"Well thanks for getting us out of that." Michael says as he watches the trees whip by out of the window.

"Don't thank me, my motivations were purely to make sure those boys saw their families again."

"Come on I mean it was a good bluff but-"

"Mr. De Santa you may have married my daughter but I know her..." He looks sideways at her as she ignores him staring straight ahead.

"Retired or not Melody is an animal, a predator who could and would kill a hundred men if the whim took ahold of her. I've learned it's best just to make peace."

"She's much, much more than that."

"Don't defend me, Michael." Melody says speaking for the first time since leaving the base.

"Well he's doing what any man in love would and should do. Of course he hasn't read your files...or raised you." Melody fixes her blue eyes on her father's.

"Been awhile sir." She says as her father nods.

"Not since, what, Norfolk?"

"The lecture at Paris Island." Melody corrects.

"Ah."

"Finally got that third star."

"It's only temporary I'll be returning to two stars after I bring you in."

"Well I'm honored."

"Don't be there's about a half dozen Senators and key investors who want your head and I intend to see they get it. The order came down directly from the Commander-in-Chief to the Secretary of Defense." Michael looks from Melody to her father as they stare at one another not blinking and unyielding.

"Always in service to his country. The Corps must be so proud." She says mockingly as the General shakes his head.

"Semper Fi Strawberry, above all else."

"Even your own daughter?" Michael asks his mouth dropping open a little as the General looks at him.

"I wouldn't expect you to understand Mr. De Santa."

"Ignore him Michael the man took an oath, worse, one he actually believes in."

"Why do you think the Corps never wanted you? Honor is a requirement."

"The Corps never wanted me because you shipped me off to Cape Town to play soldier in your little business venture!"

"You needed discipline!"

"I was seventeen!"

"Like I could know Merryweather would take it so far?"

"Like you didn't fucking know. Serving was always what you wanted from me."

"And they turned you into a weapon like any other soldier! What they didn't ask of you was renouncing your citizenship and using your training for monetary gain!"

"Go to Hell." Melody says crossing her arms across her chest.

"You first."

"And I thought I fucked my kids up." Michael adjusts himself awkwardly as he looks at the two of them staring one another down.

"Look uh, General, it might interest you to know you're a grandfather." This makes the General blink as he looks from Michael back to his daughter.

"Strawberry?"

"Don't get used to the idea you'll never meet her."

"I doubt that, when you're in jail someone will have to take care of her." Melody comes out of her seat her arms outstretched her hands going for the General as Michael pushes her back into her seat.

"Over my dead body." She adds glaring at him blowing the bangs from her face.

"If it comes to that Strawberry, if it comes to that."

"You're a bastard."

"Your mother used to say the same thing."

Bridgette looks up when Franklin's front door opens, Franklin waves as she continues bouncing Cora on her lap.

"The Candyman can. The candyman can cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good..." She sings smiling as Cora giggles.

"You're pretty good at that seein' as how she ain't yours." Bridgette makes a surprised face at Cora making the little girl giggle again as she smiles and looks up at Franklin.

"I should be, I've been with the De Santa's since she was two months old. She's more like a little sister now than a client, give me an update."

"You sound like MJ."

"I should they taught me everything they know. I'm their failsafe, the ace in the hole nobody knows about. Which gives us the element of surprise, yes it does." She says smiling down at the little girl.

"So you can do all that whoo yeah shit?" Franklin asks making karate gestures with his hands.

"Not nearly as well as she can but I'm adequate."

"Fort Zancudo, military base about thirty miles from here that's where they are." Franklin drops his keys onto the table as he sits down.

"Well military bases aren't meant for prisoners, not for long, so they'll have to transport them to a Federal holding facility if that's even where they're going."

"What do you mean?"

"The De Santa's have made a lot of enemies over the years enemies who don't send you to prison when they catch you. At least not to any prison you'll know about." Bridgette looks thoughtful for a long moment looking down into Cora's ice blue eyes before she looks up at Franklin.

"I require a map."

Melody and Michael exit the holding cell and get stopped by three soldiers with rifles, the General steps into the building handing the guard a set of paperwork.

"Take them to transpo tell them I want any guard's they can spare." The General orders as they march Melody and Michael away.

Franklin lowers the binoculars and drops back down behind the dirt hummock he rested on as he watches Bridgette circle her little project with black electrical tape.

"And you're sure this will work?" He asks as the young brunette bites off the piece of tape and stuffs the roll back into her duffel bag.

"Oh it will work I cannot guarantee it won't kill them as well but it'll work." She says Franklin shakes his head.

"This is a bad idea." He adds as Bridgette slides back on her sunglasses and zips the duffel bag closed.

"As Monsieur De Santa always says "All we got comin' are bad ideas.". Allons-y."

The Humvee comes over the pass and into view as Bridgette flicks open the trigger guard on the detonator, biting her lip she waits for the Humvee to get close enough and thumbs the switch.

The blast thunders across the wooded road as the Humvee flips and goes flying into the air, skidding on its front bumper it flips end over end before coming to rest on its roof and slowly grinds to a halt leaving a cloud of dust and debris in its wake.

Michael groans his vision blurred and his head swimming as he looks around slowly realizing the driver's half shredded body was laying on top of him. He grunts as he pushes the prone form off of him his eyes falling on Melody as she turns on her back and drives her combat boot into the door.

Her foot bounces off the first and second time until she lets out an animal like growl and kicks it again the door creaks and groans when it swings open then falls off its hinges clattering onto the asphalt. Melody pulls herself out of the ruined Humvee and blinks in the sunlight reaching down into the vehicle she shoves the other dead guard aside and blows the dust from her aviators sliding them on.

Walking around the other side of the upside down vehicle she grips the door handle braces her boot against the smoldering frame and tries to rip open Michael's door, the door tears away suddenly making Melody stumble back trying to keep her balance.

"You alive baby?" She asks coughing as she reaches in for his hand, it was slick and wet with blood as she grips it and he groans when she hauls him out into the dirt.

"What the fuck..." Michael groans as he spits some blood onto the ground.

"How are we alive?" He asks looking at the smoking wreck.

"Luck of the draw."

"Luck?"

"Yeah trust me not my first IED, could've killed us. This is going to hurt by the way." Melody says as she kneels beside him.

"What's gunna hu-fuck!" Michael howls in pain when Melody wraps her hand around a chunk of metal sticking out of his leg and mercilessly yanks it free carelessly tossing it away as she shakes loose her blonde hair tieing the old bandana around his thigh. Franklin and Bridgette run out of the woods as Melody looks up.

"He's hurt give me a hand."

Melody kicks open Franklin's front door as Franklin's sister looks up Cora resting on her lap. Melody drops her backpack onto the floor and jumps the stairs leading down into Franklin's living room sweeping Cora into her arms and cradling her against her body.

"Oh my sweet girl." She says softly nuzzling Cora's raven black hair. Franklin helps Michael down into a chair as Melody sighs into Cora's hair and holds her tight.

"How did they know?" Michael asks looking up at Franklin.

"I don't know man."

"I do." A voice comes from outside as Trevor walks in, Melody raises her .45 in her hand shielding Cora away from Trevor as several men with rifles step into the room.

"I'm sorry Frank he forced his way in." His sister says gesturing at Trevor.

"Lookie, lookie what we got here."

"Michael come and take her." Melody says, her voice was measured but quivering.

"MJ, my leg-"

"Limp!" Michael hobbles over and takes his daughter from her arms, tucking her gun into her waistband Melody slowly slides the sunglasses from her eyes and calmly folds them her ice blue eyes slowly looking from Trevor to the men filling the room.

The odd and random elevated positions around Franklin's house from staircases to landings made it a shooting gallery for anyone on the lower floor of the living room, Melody would only get two maybe three shots off before the air filled with so much lead they could suffocate on it.

"All right Trevor, you got us. What do you want?" Trevor sits down in a chair unbuttoning his grey suit as he shrugs.

"I always thought this little reunion would be more dramatic, more screams more bleeding..." He pulls a 9mm from under his jacket and pulls the trigger. Melody cries out as the bullet punches through the meat of her thigh and she falls to one knee clutching the wound.

"You son of a bitch!" Michael says, taking a step towards him before all the guns turn on him.

"That's better, music to my ears." Trevor smirks as he watches Melody pant and hiss in pain looking up at him.

"What you want Trevor?" She asks through gritted teeth, her warm blood seeps through her fingers running down her arm and staining Franklin's carpet as she holds painful pressure to the wound.

"Simple, you escaped the military so as long as you're fugitives and I know where you are, you work for me now."

"Over my-" Trevor raises his gun again not pointing it at Melody but at Michael and Cora.

"Finish that sentence soldier girl." Melody growls staring at Trevor for a moment before she nods. Trevor replaces his gun and claps his hands together, standing up he buttons his suit jacket and gestures at his men.

"I'll be in touch, meantime you should really get that looked at." He chuckles to himself as he turns and walks past Michael and Cora, pausing he claps his hand down in Michael's shoulder.

"Cute kid by the way."


	5. Back on the Radar

"Michael, stop it! You're scaring her." Melody says covering Cora's ear pressing her other to her chest as she rocks her in her arms, the little girl crying loudly.

"I can't go through this again!"

"And you think I want to?!" Melody yells back at him as Bridgette knocks on the door.

"Madame would you like me to take her?"

"Yes please, thank you Bridgette just put her down for the night." Melody eases Cora into her arms and thanks her again as she shuts the door.

"You need to lock your shit down right fucking now." Melody adds shoving Michael back a few steps and gesturing with her index finger.

"Oh how quickly the soldier returns. Where was she when that maniac had a gun pointed at our daughter?"

"You want to see that part of me again?"

"At least that bitch had some passion, some goddamn stones!" Melody smacks him, her hand striking his face with an audible clap that turns his head to the side. Michael recoils then moves to smack her back but Melody leans back and steps into a jab jamming her fist into his stomach.

"All right, all right breathe." She says softly as she helps him fall slowly to the ground his back against the bed, Michael holds his stomach as he gasps. Melody sits back on her knees in front of him brushing her bangs behind one ear as she looks at him.

"Been awhile since you done that." Michael manages as she smirks.

"Well every now and then you need to be reminded who you married. I didn't want to be that person anymore Michael and you know that, the one thing I wanted out of my life was to stop fighting every minute of every day." She moves over beside him resting her head on his shoulder.

"You've been bored, you miss it even that gleam in your eye was gone. I didn't notice until I saw it come back the moment you grabbed that M4 in the closet back on the yacht."

"Yeah it hasn't been easy but I did it, for us, for Cora because I didn't want our daughter raised by a killer and a bank robber."

"So what the fuck are we going to do MJ?" Michael asks as she looks at the floor.

"Trevor wants to work us? That's fine, I think we've gotten lazy may be time to take it back to old school crime. We've got a few jobs left in us, and when he slips up I'm going to put him in the ground."

FIB Headquarters  
San Andreas Avenue, 2336 hrs.

Agent Samuel King slaps a folder down onto the conference table, looking up at the agents seated around him he folds his arms across his chest.

"Meet our new best friends." He says as the agents open their respective folders, one young agent looks up.

"You're kidding." King shakes his head from side to side before speaking.

"They're back. Approximately eleven hours ago Melody Annabeth Jayne and Michael De Santa were captured by the United States Marines in, what is without doubt, a gross violation of Posse Comitatus but what are you gunna do?"

"Without doubt they are still U.S. citizens but how did this end up with us and, subsequently, Interpol?" Another agent asks, gesturing at King.

"They escaped custody about five hours ago. I'm here at the request of the Assistant Director and with the cooperation of your SSA. Now normally, this would fall to the U.S. Marshalls but given their status everyone's fighting for a piece of them. Let's get started shall we?" Everyone looks down flipping through the thick file, after a few moments an agent looks up.

"A modern day Bonnie and Clyde." Everyone at the conference table laughs, Agent King drops the folder back on the table.

"You laugh but you're not far off. According to our intel these two started out robbing banks and jewelry stores. They went straight to slam dunks, pulling million dollar jobs right out of the gate." King points to several case files stacked on the table.

"After the Union Depository things really went off the rails. Their wedding in Prague, Interpol agents got wind of the event, which was literally an event every socialite from Brussels to London was there. We went in hard and we lost forty three agents, Michael and Melody escaped leaving another thirteen agents dead at the air terminal." King turns gesturing at the video running silently on the projected screen.

The video was of Melody in a tight off the shoulder wedding gown stained with blood and a long black knife in her hand. Slashing one soldier's throat she grabs his assault rifle flipping it in her hands she shoulders it and shoots three more agents with rapid calculated shots. Dropping the rifle she knees a soldier in the groin wrapping her arm around his neck. She yanks upwards and snaps the soldier's neck letting him drop as she sends her knife spinning through the air, moving off camera and out of sight.

"Melody Jayne is a soldier, a soldier's soldier and De Santa has been learning everything she knows for over two years. These two are extremely dangerous, fiercely loyal only to each other and they have a small child. I don't know about you guys, but I once saw my wife nearly claw a woman's eyes out just for looking at our son wrong. I don't even want to imagine what Jayne could be capable of." None of the agents speak as King finishes, they were all staring at the carnage happening on the video behind him.

"Look at those moves." One agent says in awe, gesturing with his pen.

"That grip and dislocation she just performed is MCMAP, the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. That technique right there? Using the rifle sling over the neck to control while using the rifle in a full nelson style immobilization to still be able to shoot through the subject's arms and using his body as a shield? That's Russian Special Forces, the Spetsnaz."

"What's your point?" An agent asks the young agent across the table from him.

"These are moves specific to those branches of their respective militaries. She would have had to have either served there or had an extended amount of time with them. What aren't you telling us about her?" King sighs, taking his seat at the head of the table for the first time.

"Jayne was a test subject."

"She was an Athena graduate?" A female agent asks, piping up from the far end of the table.

"Correct." King says, the agents at the conference table look at the female agent.

"I was assigned to the investigation into Devin Weston and Merryweather Security after Weston went MIA, while we were digging we came across this classified project Weston sunk millions of dollars into. They had two programs one for men Program Ares, and one for women Athena. It was a D.O.D. sanctioned experiment..." She lets her voice trail off as she looks at the group around the table then at King.

"Go on." King says, dropping his pen onto the folder in front of him.

"Into creating the next generation of special forces...they were trying to make super soldiers." One agent throws up his hands as the other agents go quiet. One agent runs his hand over his face while another female agent puts her face in her hands and shakes her head from side to side before she speaks.

"Fuck, the woman's a Terminator without all the cyborg parts."

"What are the particulars?" A young agent asks breaking the long silence as he uncomfortably fiddles with his dark blue tie.

"Nothing too insane, nothing out of Heinlein or Herbert if that's what you're asking. She received extensive and intense training with every branch of the Special Forces in two dozen countries, she even trained with the RCMP."

"The Mounties?" The female agent nods before answering.

"She was given courses in military history, strategy, warfare, chemistry, espionage, pretty much anything you can think up. She has an IQ of 174 and the educational equivalent of three Ph.D's. She would've also received training to resist torture and interrogation along with some rather extraordinary psychological conditioning that, obviously, didn't work out as planned. Not mention she holds some of the most impressive marksmanship records I've ever seen."

"How impressive?" The female agent reaches in her pocket and drops a quarter onto the table.

"She could put a bullet through that at eight hundred yards. Then do it twice more."

"So she's basically Leonidas the Brave and Capone meets a Navy SEAL's worst nightmare."

"Pretty much, yeah."

"What about the husband? This uh, De Santa?"

"De Santa's biggest claim to fame is he robbed the Union Depository. He was a check cash thug, nickel and dime jobs for most of his life he moved onto bigger stuff until some robbery in Yankton went south. Got some people killed, made a deal with you fine boys here at the FIB, retired. Until this Jayne came along." King finishes tapping Melody's picture in the file folder open in front of him.

"What does she see in him?"

"I don't know, all of our research indicated most of her former relationships were with women. Her relationships with men were politely described by those we interviewed as "fleeting at best", mostly one night stands picked up bars or at nightclubs off base."

"Where?"

"Cape Town, South Africa."

"Sexual preferences and taste in men aside, our biggest obstacle is Jayne's father." King presses the control on a remote and a picture of the General flashes up on the screen.

"Her father is General Jayne?" The younger male agent speaks up straightening in his chair.

"You know him?"

"Only by reputation. Guys in my unit called him General X, you can't see it on that one but he's got an X shaped shrapnel scar above his left eye."

"And that reputation is?"

"Operation Just Cause, Urgent Fury, Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Kuwait..."

"He also has two Purple Hearts, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, a Silver Star, the Flying Cross, and the Prisoner of War Medal." King says reading from the folder.

"Jesus."

"Yeah and the scuttlebutt is that they are not close." King adds examining a sheet of paper.

"Like how not close?"

"She swore the day they met again she'd rip his spine out and beat his skull in with it."

"She could probably do it."

"What about her mother?" One of the two female agents in the room asks.

"Her mother was Isreali Mosaad who transferred into a liason position within the Pentagon in uh, the early nineties or thereabouts."

"Isreal's very own assassins guild. Wow, this just keeps getting better and better."

"She died when Jayne was around nine or ten, the official story is drunk driver ran a red light..." King snaps his fingers letting it punctuate the end of his sentence.

"Jesus this woman was like genetically engineered to be a killer."

"That's probably what Merryweather thought."

"The _official_ story is a drunk driver?" One agent asks, leaning forward in his chair. King licks his lips before he leans forward in his chair running his hand over his face and then he just shrugs.

"Her father was a high-ranking officer in the upper echelons of the Pentagon, that's the official record. Off the record I find it hard to believe a government trained assassin, even a retired one, can't manage to avoid a car accident on a dry road in a low traffic intersection going less than forty miles an hour."

"Do we have any real specifics about what they did to her in this Project Athena?" There was a hint of concern in one of the female agent's voice.

"Not even remotely, but you can see the result for yourself." He hitches his thumb over his shoulder to the video just as Melody hurls a soldier into the wall and spins off her back foot kicking a soldier across the jaw so hard his helmet comes off.

Gripping the two bloody knives in her hands two of the agents at the table cringe as they watch her drive the blades into both sides of his ribcage then yank them out, the blades crisscrossing like scissors as she slashes his throat almost to his spine. She lets him slump to the floor turning on her heel flipping one of the knives in her hand and moving off camera.

"Look at her...no hesitation, complete follow through, flawless technique and combinations. It's like a ballet from Hell." The young agent who spoke up earlier folds his arms across the table watching the video.

"I cannot overstate this people, this woman kills like you and I breathe, if you see Jayne call for backup. She cut a swath through a division of the best tactical guys we had at Interpol, you will die if you attempt to engage and apprehend. Melody Jayne is considered extremely dangerous and she was once fifth on both our agency's Most Wanted for good reason."

"Our orders?"

"Find her. When they robbed the UD you guys worked up an extensive background on her so let's start there." He gestures to someone outside the conference room and the door opens the person wheeling in a handcart laden with boxes. Agent King opens one of the boxes and drops a thick spiral bound file onto the table with a thud.

"Known associates, last knowns, friends and families. We working against the clock and the Marines here, so work fast but be methodical let's not miss anything. Release the hounds, people."


	6. Meet the New Boss

Melody shoves the key in the lock of the old rusty door, turning the key with some effort she gives the door a push and it slowly creaks open.

"I forgot about this one." Michael says as they duck inside and he closes the door behind her.

"You never knew about this one." Melody replies smirking and flicking the light switch. The old flourescent light slowly blinks to life illuminating the interior of the dusty garage.

"When I was fresh off the boat from Afghanistan I was doing jobs for a friend of mine, Gerald, this was the first place I bought. I slept on the floor right over there I havent been here in fuck, four years or more." Melody adds, walking over to a counter and flicks on the old radio.

Her head nodding to the music, she unscrews a jar dumping the contents onto the metal countertop sorting through the washers and nuts she picks up a key.

"Weapons locker." She points to her left tossing him the key. Michael walks over to the area she pointed at running his fingers over the woven steel, chain-link style security door protecting a dark room.

He kneels inserting the key at the base of the door and turns it, gripping the links he pushes the doors apart and steps into the small storage room. Reaching over he flicks on the light switch and slowly turns in place as his mouth slowly falls open. Weapons of every make and model line the walls, hanging on hooks or resting on shelves with vests and fatigues resting on hangars.

Melody walks over to an upright cabinet on the opposite end of the garage and unlocks it, reaching inside she retrieves an old beat up cardboard box. She carries the box over to the metal countertop and unfolds the top and slowly, almost in reverence, takes out a dusty worn and faded black leather jacket.

She runs her fingers over the faded subdued black and grey patch on the right sleeve, the flaming skull impaled on a double-edged sword. On the smaller ribbon style patch beneath the larger were the faded letters "SNIPER", a smile comes across her lips.

"I am a baaad girl." She says softly smirking and looking down at the jacket, she puts her arm through and tugs it onto one shoulder then the other.

Giving her shoulders a shrug the jacket's long hem falls around her, coming to rest just above her knees. She tosses her hair free and flips back the collar, touching the heavily tarnished silver Lieutenant's bars still clipped to the points of the collar. Turning away from the counter, she slowly runs her fingers down the sheet covered object in the center of the garage.

Gripping the sheet she walks alongside the car her calf high boots clicking on the poured cement floor taking the sheet with her, she balls it up dropping it in the corner.

"Did you miss me?" She asks the solid black modified Sabre Turbo. The classic muscle car doesn't respond but sits there like the hulking machine it was, shining in the flourescent light. Michael walks out of the weapons room carrying a half open duffel bag loaded with guns, he hands Melody a nickel plated M1911 .45.

"Love the jacket." Melody flashes Michael her pretty and perfect smile giving the slide of the .45 a yank and winking at him, tucking the gun at her back in the waistline of her denim jeans. Searching the pockets of her reclaimed leather jacket she finds a small key.

Melody walks over to the metal countertop and reaches under it, her fingers fumbling for a small padlock. She inserts the key and opens the lock pulling it free she drops it onto the counter and pulls open a recessed hand built drawer. Michael looks over her shoulder as Melody runs her fingers over the military green M40A3 bolt action .308 rifle.

"Yours?"

"Mine." She takes it out of the foam inlay and shuts the drawer, opening the trunk she carefully lays down the rifle

The door to the Sabre creaks when she pulls it open sliding behind the wheel as Michael dumps the guns into the trunk and uses the pull chain to open the garage door bathing the car in sunlight.

Melody pulls down the visor above her head and catches the keys before they drop into her lap. Pressing her foot to the chrome plated clutch pedal she inserts the key and turns the engine over. The car groans in protest failing to ignite before she turns the key and looks down at the dashboard.

"Don't be stubborn." She tells the car then presses the clutch to the floor and turns the key. The engine sputters coughs and ignites with a loud roar then settles into a low and intimidating growl.

Melody pops the clutch and the car slowly rumbles out of the dusty old garage and into the gleaming sunlight, the bright light glinting off of the car and the silver frame of Melody's amber lensed aviators. Michael pull the garage door closed and locks the door as Melody presses the accelerator listening to the modified 9-liter V8 growl and vibrate the whole car.

She rests her hand on the classic wood shifter and when Michael slides into the leather seat beside her she pushes the long throw five speed transmission into first with a resounding click followed by a small hiss and releases the clutch. Tires squeal on the pavement the car roaring as Melody spins the wheel and barrels onto the road, the wind whipping her silky ringlets around her as she smiles and shifts into second.

"Take it easy." Michael says smirking as he looks sideways at the smile creasing Melody's lips.

The Sabre growls to a stop on Decker Street as Michael glances down at the burner phone one of Trevor's goons had given him. Melody lets her aviators drop down her nose a little looking over the rim of the glasses and up at the large office building.

"You sure this is the place?" She asks looking sideways at him.

"This is the address he texted us, or his goons or whoever." Melody clicks her tongue before she pulls away and circles around the building into the parking garage.

Michael pulls open the door for Melody as they both walk into the modern lobby Melody folding her glasses and tucking them into her shirt collar. They walk up to the round receptionist's desk and the woman looks up at them.

"Welcome to TP Industries, Mr. Phillips is expecting you." She hands them two security badges, Melody looks down at hers and then back at the woman.

"The elevators are on your left." She smiles politely gesturing at the doors, Melody taps her security card on the counter before she follows behind Michael. The hired security guards eyeball them, Melody examines their faces then the FN P-90's strapped to their vests.

"I feel like I'm being Punk'd." She mutters as they swipe their cards, the reader blinks green and the elevator doors part allowing them to step inside. The elevator uses the information stored on their cards and automatically selects a floor for them, the doors close and the car begins to rise.

Melody clicks her tongue again eyes wandering the elevator before she takes a pen from a pocket of her leather jacket and a napkin. Using her palm as a flat surface her mouth moves as she silently mutters to herself scribbling on the napkin.

"What is-"

"Shh." Melody cuts him off as the elevator dings and the doors part Melody quickly stuffs the napkin back into her pocket. Two guards at the door stop them one gesturing at the security checkpoint set up just outside the elevator.

"All objects, watches, wallets, cell phones in the bin and step through." Melody steps through the machine giving her a loud beep.

"Ma'am, please remove all metal objects." Melody rolls her eyes and blows the air from her lungs.

Reaching behind her she removes the nickel plated M1911 from the waistband of her jeans, popping the snap she removes her combat knife from its sheath along her waist, dropping them both into the bin. She reaches into the inside pocket of her leather jacket and drops an expanding Asp baton into the bin then a pair of brass knuckles, from her left pants pocket she drops a pocketknife.

"That it?" The guard asks as Melody sighs again and puts her calf high boot onto the table reaching in she removes a small bootknife, it clatters on top of the others as Michael gives her a bemused smile.

"Can I get some kind of receipt?" She asks a smirk etching the corner of her lips as the two guards stare at her.

"Down the hall double doors on your right." The guard says gesturing as Michael rests his arm around Melody's waist and they both walk through the office floor and past several cubicles. Melody doesn't speak as they walk her eyes wandering the floor and her lips moving slightly on occasion.

"You ok?"

"Shh." She replies her eyes closing for a moment as they turn left down the corridor and then her eyes open flicking up to the ceiling. They pause at the set of double doors with two armed guards outside who reach over and open them both, the pair walk into the large and open office.

A woman was leaning over a desk saying something to Trevor who mutters something then nods in agreement as he signs something which she takes from in front of him and walks past them, the doors closing behind them.

"Welcome, welcome to Trevor Phillips Industries." Melody ignores Trevor as she walks over to the floor to ceiling windows and looks out at the city. Taking the pen from her pocket and the yellow napkin she starts scribbling on it again.

"Let's just skip straight to this huh? What are we doing here Trevor?"

"Why, being blackmailed of course."

"Besides that?"

"I'm a businessman Mikey, pillar of the community which means there are some things, as much as I'd like to, I just can't go out and do anymore."

"Like drink the blood of endangered animals or bite the heads off of bats?" Melody asks, turning away from the window stuffing the napkin back into her pocket.

"Those days are long since behind me, I've settled down."

"Somehow I doubt that." Melody mutters as Trevor gestures at two chairs in front of his desk. Michael and Melody take a seat, Melody shifts uncomfortably from one hip to the other half expecting a trapdoor to an incinerator to open up beneath them.

"So, to business." Trevor says clapping his hands together as he hands them both manilla folders. Melody glares up at Trevor as she unties the folder and pulls out its contents. She looks at the building then shuffles through the pages.

"Now, what I really need from the two of you is to see if you've still got game. I think you've been laying on some beach fucking like rabbits for far too long. So I want you to-"

"Rob a bank?" Melody asks, looking up from the documents at him.

"A-plus for G.I. Jane."

"More specifically the Lombank Building in Del Perro." Melody finishes as she looks sideways at her husband.

"Right again, this'll be easier than I thought. So you go rob the bank bring me say, 1.7 million, just for funsies, and I won't kill you both and your kid and/or reveal your location to the half dozen Federal agencies looking for you at this very moment." Melody drops the packet onto Trevor's desk with a resounding slap, getting to her feet.

"Yeah Trevor, you've really changed." She says sarcastically turning and heading for the door.

"This has got me all nostalgic, makes me all gooey inside. So I'll give you what, three days?" Michael doesn't say anything as he pushes the papers back into the folder and gets up following Melody for the door.

"Oh and remember kids, have fun with it. You're back doin' what you love."


	7. The Lombank Job

"..._It doesn't really seem like I'm getting through to you, though I see you weeping so sweetly_..." Melody looks at the pilot who gives her three fingers, rising to her feet she pops the magazine on her rifle and examines it slapping it home she cycles the bolt. The guitar still blares in her ears.

".._.I think you might have to take a little taste, a little bit of Hell this time_..."

The pilot shows her two fingers.

".._.Is she not right? Is she insane? Will she now run for her life in the battle that ends this day?"_

Melody pulls her earbuds from her ears and drops them onto the seat, gripping the handle she yanks open the long sliding door to the open air. The cold night air whips into the cabin as she takes a long breath. Looking sideways the pilot gives her a thumbs up and she jumps away from the chopper.

Melody nimbly flips over and throws out her arms and legs the wind whipping her fatigues around her as she looks at the building beneath her. Melody glances at the little altimeter dial clipped to her harness and exhales. She lets her eyes close and lets her arms and legs straighten her body picking up speed, letting her body list to one side and roll through the air like a drill bit.

She throws out her arms and rights herself before she yanks on the ripcord the black military chute silently unfurling and jerking as it slows her momentum, slipping her hands into the control handles. She tilts left to right slowing her speed as the building grows beneath her feet.

Melody swings a wide circle around the building lining herself up for an approach, releasing one control handle she picks up the silenced MP5 strapped her chest. Holding it one handed she tucks the extended stock to her shoulder and peers down the ACOG scope, tightening her grip on the frame a laser activates.

The dot falls on one of the guards walking a high platform she squeezes the trigger and he crumples, a dark mist of blood blowing out of the other side of his head. Pivoting the submachine gun she waits for the sight to drop onto another guard and the silenced gun pops, the guard falling to his knees then onto his face. Melody lets the MP5 fall limp across her chest.

Gripping the control handles she pulls down hard on them the parachute braking as her feet lightly touch the building roof. Melody slaps the quick release as she rolls to her feet, shouldering the MP5 in the same motion as the parachute whips away behind her and off of the building into the night sky. Sweeping the barrel from left to right she presses the transmitter clipped to her vest.

"I'm in." Twelve stories below Michael gives Franklin a thumbs up before he puts the hand radio to his lips.

"Good to know you haven't lost your touch." Melody's combat boots make no sound as she hurries across the roof.

Melody spies the guard walking the railing, she takes of at a sprint skidding on her padded knees as she slides around the corner into view and puts two bullet in him. Pausing when she throws her back to a stone pillar she smiles at his words.

Melody jogs silently up a plyboard and steel pole frame ramp coming over to the edge of the building.

She peers over the edge a few loose bangs whipping in the wind as she shrugs the backpack off her shoulders. Taking a knee she unzips it pulling a large silver bolt gun, pressing it to the concrete barrier she glances over her shoulder before she presses the trigger. The sound of the shot echoes around the roof spraying her with chunks of pulverized concrete and she checks her six o' clock again.

Tossing the gun aside she clips a carabiner to the newly made anchor. Working quickly with well practiced mechanical motions she strings the repel line and clips the other end to her waist. She gives the rope a hard tug and climbs onto the railing, touching the transmitter she looks at the building across from her.

"Michael?"

"All right MJ we're set."

Melody throws herself off of the building, the rope rapidly uncoiling from the pile above her as she descends through the air. Below her a streak makes its way across the space between the two buildings and the explosion from the RPG shatters the glass just as she yanks on the brake line righting herself and swings inside the room being pelted by broken glass.

Dropping to one knee as she skids on broken glass Melody raises the MP5 and shoots a stunned guard twice, once in the heart and one between the eyes as she puts out her foot to stop her sliding momentum. Melody spins the lock on the carabiner and unclips it from her harness tossing it aside, shouldering the weapon as she hurries over to the door her boots crunching on broken glass.

Melody pulls open the door letting it bang against the wall before she steps out into the hallway and rushes down the hallway.

"Left." Michael's voice crackles in her earpiece as he looks down at the blueprints displayed on the tablet. Melody puts her back to the wall and glances around the corner before she raises the MP5 and turns the corner making her way down the corridor.

"Right." Melody turns right, her eyes flicking from left to right before she comes to a stop at a door.

Taking a small block of C4 from her backpack she rolls it like play-doh in her fingerless gloved hands until it forms a snake and works it into the space between the door and the frame, mashing a blasting cap into it she ducks into a doorway. Pulling the detonator from her pocket she flicks the trigger guard and thumbs the switch, the small explosion echoes down the corridor as alarms begin to blare.

"You've got two minutes and thirty seconds." Michael says in her ear as she walks into the server room, making her way down rows of servers before she comes to the row she wants. She counts her way seven servers down and yanks the cover panel off, shrugging the backpack from her shoulder and inserting a stick into the USB port she touches her transmitter.

"Do it." She says and Michael looks over his shoulder at Franklin his face lit by the laptop screen, he looks up and nods.

"Transfer's started MJ, you should get out of there."

"Not until we have what we need."

"Ok hold tight." Melody takes a knee next to the server and shoulders the MP5, her finger impatiently tapping against the frame.

"Remember when you could just stuff 1.7 million into a duffel bag?" She asks, making Michael smirk.

"Minute thirty." Michael reminds her looking expectedly at Franklin.

"Almost there." Franklin says looking up at him. Melody presses her finger against her earpiece thumbing her transmitter.

"Babe point me to the back up drives for the cameras." Michael blinks as he flicks through the images displayed on his digital tablet.

"Four rows up third server from the aisle." He responds, Melody rises to her feet glancing at the door as she jogs over to the row of servers and stops at the third one, dropping her backpack onto the ground and ripping off the panel she tosses it aside. Taking a block of C4 she peels off the backing, sticking it against the bank of hard drives.

"MJ we got it, now get the hell out of there!" Michael says when Franklin gives him the thumbs up and slaps his laptop closed.

Melody slings the open backpack around one shoulder and hurries out of the row of servers a sudden eruption of gunfire making her duck back behind it as she curses.

"What was that?"

"I'm blown."

Melody rips open a pocket in her cargo pants and pops the spoons on two flashbangs sending them clattering down the aisle. She waits for the flash and pop snapping up the MP5 it erupts on full auto, six shots tearing into one guard's chest, she pivots the barrel to her right and the silenced gun pops again as four rounds knock the second guard off his feet.

"Melody talk to me." Melody doesn't answer as she sprints away from the room thumbs the detonator and the server farm erupts in a massive explosion that rocks the entire floor.

Skidding around a corner she surprises a guard, his pistol goes off right next to her ear. A ringing fills Melody's head as she wraps her arm around his pistol hand and snaps his trigger finger with a loud crack, the man cries out dropping the gun. Melody locks his arm around her shoulders and rolls him over her back slamming into the ground she draws the pistol from her thigh and puts a round between his eyes, the shot echoing off the walls.

"MJ!"

"Plan B." She says as she sprints down the corridor and bursts through the door to the staircase.

Melody jumps step after step, gripping the railing she throws herself around the turn and continues jumping the steps making her way down as the building's alarms blare in her ears.

"Babe there is no Plan B." Michael says into his radio as he drops the spent RPG launcher into the van, climbing behind the wheel.

Melody yanks open the door to the second floor panting as she raises the MP5 and runs down the corridor towards the window at the end of the row of cubicles.

She tightens her grip on the MP5 and fires it, the rounds puncture and shatter the floor to ceiling pane of glass sprinting towards it she jumps into the night air. Michael slams on the brakes the van screeching to a halt as he watches Melody plummet through the air and into the shallow fountain below with a loud splash.

"Jesus christ." Michael watches her crawl out of the water limping as she hurries down the steps leading up to the building and climbs into the open side door of the van.

"Go." She says pulling on the handle and slamming the door closed.

"You ok?" Michael asks, glancing at her in the rearview as she winces in pain looking down at her leg.

"I'll live, drive the speed limit."

"Not my first getaway." He retorts, maneuvering the van between to cars going the speed limit as police cars speed by, sirens blaring.

**_I don't typically communicate like this until the end of my stories but I'm leaving in a week for eight months. I will have very little to no access to laptops with Word and web or cell phones, none that I'll have time to write for that matter so while the story isn't ending, it is however officially put on hold along with Haven and Hell and a few of my other projects over at Fictionpress and here at FF. So goodbye for now, thank you all for going on this journey with Melody Jayne. Hope to see you when I return. _


End file.
